Light Blue
by borninsummer94
Summary: Gray, a university student who lives with his brother, seems to have a weird obsession about another student because of her blue hair. Is it just curiosity or something more? A bittersweet love with a lot of difficulties ahead.
1. Chapter 1

Blue is the color of the sky when crystal clear and the color of the wild yet beautiful sea. Blue was the image outside my window when i was living in the mountains as a child. With that i built my dreams, i grow up, i kept believing. That's why I got to love that color. It's calming, it makes me feel at home. Blue was her hair, too...

The cafeteria was once again full of students. He looked around in agony, saying to himself the excuse that it was just to find an empty sit. There was plenty open but he kept looking, thinking that there might was a chance to find her in the crowd. If she was there he would spot immediately. Her light blue hair was always giving her away.

"Gray!" he heard a familiar voice calling for him from a distance. Who else would make such a noice? Natsu's waving hand seemed unexpectedly out of place. He sighed letting his disappointment out and started walking towards his friends direction. As usual, Natsu was sitting with Lucy.

"What were you doing?" Natsu asked him as he approached them but Gray didn't bother replying.  
"Looking for that girl again?" Natsu continued ignoring the fact that Gray was not in the mood for teasing.  
"Shut up already..." Gray dodged the question.  
"Oh... In a bad mood, aren't we?" Natsu replied when Lucy hit him under the table, act meaning that he need to finally stop talking.  
 _As if!_ "I haven't seen her all day... Maybe she didn't come..." Then silence.  
There was no way she wouldn't come. Today was the second Tuesday of the month, meaning that she had laboratory practice at 17.00. She never missed that. But, he couldn't say that out loud to Natsu; cause that would mean that he knew her schedule and that would be weird to admit, especially considering that the still haven't learnt her name.

"Want to go for a drink after?" Lucy awkwardly broke the silence.  
"No, I'll pass..." Natsu replied. "I have to finish an essay that's due tomorrow."  
"Wha- the one we had a whole week to do? Why didn't you do it on time?"  
"I had... things to attend.. It's not like I'm not gonna make it!"  
"What are you going to do if you fail it? And anyway, what kind of things you had to attend that I don't know about?"  
"I'm not gonna fail, geez..."

 _There they go fighting again..._ Gray thought. Natsu and Lucy have been dating for a year now. Who liked who first, who confessed, when did they get together, it was all a mystery. For Gray, the were never friends to begin with... The atmosphere around them was always suspiciously flirty. Now, they were the most popular couple in the whole campus. But they never seemed to bother the awkward glances of passing people or the rumors going around. It has been a month since they started living together as well. Sometimes he wondered if he would be able to have a relationship like theirs. And, as many times as he refused, deep down, he knew he was jealous of them. He sighed again. The food was not tasty and he didn't want to eat no more.

"I can't go out drinking tonight either. Lyon asked me to go home early." he interrupted the two.  
"Huh? Didn't he day why?" Natsu asked him.  
"I didn't ask..."  
"I'm surprised you still manage to live with him... Though he definitely can't be worse than Lucy..."  
"I'M RIGHT are easy to live with either... Gray, did you know? That guy has the habit to sleep with-" Natsu stopped her with a kiss. "That's enough" he whispered as he let her lips. Lucy looked down embarrassed.  
"Geez... Stop flirting while I'm eating you guys..." Gray complained making her red of embarrassment. "Anyway, it's not about managing to live with him or not... He is my brother, i have to endure it. Plus, he pays the rent."  
"Right, Lyon works at a big company already even though he is still a student. My, my, the younger brother is a fraud..." Natsu teased him.  
"He is older. Plus, his university provides that opportunity for it's students." Gray ignored the harrassment.  
"Ours does too, stupid. You are just no good enough."  
"Anyway, I'm not hungry anymore..." Gray said wanting to stop the conversation. "I'm going to take a walk."  
"Huh? Okay... Just don't be late. Class begins in half an hour" Lucy said as he stood up.

He walked outside. Looking around there were a lot of people today. Not one of blue hair. Was she alright? Not that he was worried or anything, it's not like they were friends, but it was weird for her to be absent. Maybe she wasn't feeling well... Yesterday looked pale, too. As a fellow student, and a human being, he couldn't help but worry. He took the long way to his class, the one that crossed the yard she was usually hanging around with her friends.

Without realising his steps were suddenly quicker. His pulse was rising and he felt hot. The day was unexpectedly hot today. Maybe she couldn't stand the hot weather and stayed home? That might have been the case... _Anyway, there is no need to worry_ , he said himself. There were times that he hadn't seen her around in campus, but she was still there, usually in the classroom.

He stopped and took a breath. Some meters away her friends were sitting down in the yard talking and laughing, but she wasn't there. His heart started beating fast. Weird... For a second he thought to go and ask them, but he regretted that desicion immediately. After all, wouldn't it look weird if someone you don't know asked you about your friend who doesn't know you either? He could pass as a stalker or pervert.

The first bell rang meaning that he had to hurry and go to the classroom. He turned back disappointed. _But, why feel that way?_ he asked himself. She didn't even know he existed. A glance or two from both parties didn't mean anything if there hasn't been actual conversation between the two. So, why bother? _She wouldn't worry for me if I went missing in the first place..._ that thought slipped him mind.

How long has it been since he first met her? It was at the opening ceremony. I walked into the building with his usual salty expression, tired and bored. She passed by him. Her hair immediately taught his attention. It was light blue, curly and long. _Who would dry their hair blue?_ he thought at that time. _She must be trying very hard to gain attention..._ Yet she wasn't. She was quiet and peaceful, away from the crowd, always alone. Before he knew it his eyes were looking for hers. Why was it? Was it because he was fascinated by her courage to stand out? That attachment he had was weird, still he wasn't able to control or stop it.

The last bell rang, meaning he had to run. _Whatever, it's not like I care_ , he thought as he climbed the stairs. A glance inside her classroom before entering him. Third row frow the end, five sits from the window. At the usual sit, her beautiful blue hair was once more making her stand out. She was looking at her phone calm, oblivious to everything around her.  
"There you are.." he mumbled and walk into his classroom with a weird feeling of relief he couldn't be able to explain and a faint smile on his face he couldn't control, which was sure that would lead him be teased about by Natsu later.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 1. Days of Surprise

She liked to move around a lot. She loved to sunbath with her friends at the yand, hang with classmates, participate in all sorts of events and take long walks around the campus. Yet, there were times she needed to be alone. In the library there was always an open spot for her. She either listened to music quietly while staring outside the window or reading a book lost in its words.

Yet, she was like a ghost. Like the eyes of others couldn't catch her people just passed by her. When people were around she looked angry, when she was alone sad. She rarely smiled. Her almond shaped eyes, as blue as her beautiful hair, were always looking at the floor. Sometimes it looked like she was looking for something she would never find.

He was always sitting across the room, at a sit where he could see her. The sun was always falling on her pale skin, making her look like a porcelain doll.

That day, at that spot, her sit was open. He looked its way tried to fantasize that she was there, with a book at her lap, looking outside the window melancholic. He sighed. All he knew was that she liked to read horror books. Quiet unexpected. Was she enjoying them that much? He had tried to read them himself but to him they seemed hard to follow. Not that he was scared…

Another sigh. He hadn't seen her all day once more. She hadn't even gone to class, meaning that she was absent for good. It was already seven, most of the people were already long gone and it started to get dark. She wouldn't come. His irritation made his blood boil. He pushed the chair back with force.

"Ah!" he heard a voice behind him. It was obvious that he had hit someone. _Damn, worst of luck_ , he cursed  
"I'm sorry, are you alright?" he gasped in shock. Not a chance! He had just hit _HER_. He tried to apologize again but his voice wasn't coming out.  
"Yes, I'm fine…" she raised her head and looked straight into his eyes. What was that? How could he continue the conversation? Would he let it end like that?

"Oh, that book… I have read it three times already!" That was it! Now all he had to do was give a proper answer. He smiled and looked away to hide his embarrassment. "Do you like it?" she continued.  
"Yes" he lied "I really like this author."  
"Oh, me too! She writes some hardcore horror! I'm Juvia by the way." She raised her hand. _Juvia…_ he repeated to his head. "I'm Gray." His hand was shaking as it touched hers. What would he do if she were to notice he was sweating? His hand must have been pretty sweaty too… He thought of wanting to push it back, but, as expected, he couldn't. Her hand was small and elegant, although a bit cold. He didn't mind. "Right… Gray…" Juvia mumbled and to him it seemed for a second that she blushed. Within a second he pushed his hard back. Juvia looked a bit surprised by it.

 _Why did I do that?_ He cursed but there was no way to take his action back. They stayed silent once again. _Something to say, something to say…_ he kept repeating into his head but nothing was coming up.  
"I think I have seen you before, which field are you?" Juvia asked again.  
"Ah… No… Science; chemistry."  
"Oh, our classes are right next to each other! I'm in Biology" Of course he knew that, too. He knew everything, everything about her. All but her name, and now he had learnt that as well. His heart was beating fast and his brain has stopped functioning. He didn't know what to say.

"Okay then…" Juvia said and sighed. "See you around!" Her faint smile was hiding behind her blue hair as she walked away. They have just talked… Gray turned to the book and sighed, trying to talk his heart down. They have talked. And it was weird and awkward. Now he wasn't in the mood to read anymore.

"Juvia! You coming?" Gajeel shouted from across the yard as she was walking towards him. She walked quickly at his side. "I'm coming. No need to shout." She complained but, as usual, Gajeel ignored her.  
"Where is Levy?" Juvia asked.  
"I don't know…"  
Juvia stayed silent. That meant only one thing. They have fought again. "Okay…" she whispered. Gajeel was kinda scary when he wasn't in the mood to talk. She didn't want to make him angrier.

"What about you? You look weird." Gajeel asked her. He knew her too well after all these years… "I met an interesting guy today." There was no need for her to hide. "Ohh… A guy…" Gajeel commented. "What was he like?"  
"I… can't really tell…" she tried to bring her back to her head. "He had a sad look, a little angry… He said a little… It was this weird tension…" _His eyes looked lost, like he wasn't enjoying life_ … She couldn't say that. But that was the most surprising thing of all. Her gaze made her want to talk more, like these two could talk for hours.  
"Hm… He sounds like an asshole to me…" Gajeel mumbled. "He was only sad…" she replied and the conversation ended there. She got into the bus waving Gajeel from across the glass. Her house was a 20minute distance. It was a small apartment, dark and lonely, with a really bad smell. Yet, it was cheap.

She looked outside. People were walking down the streets in a hurry. She pushed her blue hair away from her face. "Gray." She whispered to herself and repeated again and again so that she wouldn't forget it.


	3. Chapter 3

Author's notes: I keep making spelling mistakes that I notice only after posting, although I read and re read my chapters! Is it the same mystery like the socks you lose in the washing machine even though you put them together? Do the mistakes appear only after posting just to embarrass me? *sighs* Now that's me trying to make excuses… So very immature and unprofessional of me… I'm really sorry, yet thankful for your understanding! I'll try hard to control this little problem for the next chapters! Enjoy yourselves.

Chapter 2: To get to know

He walked into his house with his face red and a fast beating heart. Now he has done it. They have talked; there had been a full, serious, legit conversation between them. It was weird; it was nice… He smiled faintly. How long has it been?

"Everything alright?" he heard Lyon's voice. So his older brother was a home, how unexpected...  
"Everything good." he replied as if nothing has happened.

There was no need for him to know after all. Yes, they were brothers but their relationship was not that good to begin with. Lyon was always distant, like a stranger. Not only that but her had this twisted look on his face, Gray could never handle it. Maybe it was because deep inside, he was still blaming for his mother's death, let alone the fact that he might have not accepted him yet as a brother. In the end, they were not brothers by blood. Both adopted by the same woman they grew together like normal siblings, though they never show any affection with each other. After Ur's death things got worse and now they barely talked.

Gray's enthusiasm was all of the sudden gone. He mumbled goodnight to Lyon who kept reading his book on the couch and went straight to bed. He was so tired he could barely stand.

The next day he walked down the hall composed and calm. Natsu would be probably skipping class and Lucy was probably with him trying to convince him not to. The day was unexpectedly hot, even though it was nearly winter, but to Gray the atmosphere seemed even more suffocating than usual. He checked around the campus. Not a sight of blue hair. _How disappointing…_ he thought and sighed.

"Why such a long sighed so early in the morning?" He heard a voice behind him and turned around in surprise. _No way_! It was _her_. What she was doing there? Wait, she was _talking_ to him? How so? He didn't reply, just looked away. Maybe it was the embarrassment, but once again he couldn't find a word to say. She smiled at him. "This" she continued like she didn't mind his behavior and showed him the book she was holding. "I just finished it. Dare to try it?" Bloody cover with a corny title, weird font letters and a stupid name of a writer. Another horror film? She had to be kidding him… He took it in his hands and gave a weird look. She laughed. "You are going to love it! It's a bit gory, but these are the best right?" "Right…" he replied halfheartedly.

"It's about a priest that goes to an old house and there is…" _Ugh, she is sure talking a lot_ … that thought came in Gray's mind. Once again he was left dumbfounded by her. How could he misjudge her so much? She was completely different from how he imagined. Honestly, it was a bit disappointing. She sure was excited while talking about deaths and blood. She looked nothing like the mysterious, lonely girl he stared at, sitting in the library while quietly reading her books. Her voice right now was a bit annoying and she was very close to him, like she didn't care about personal spaces. Still, this way her beautiful hair was closer to his face. They were shining under the light of the room and her curls were bouncing while she was talking. Her eyes were sparking in excitement, more like her whole face was. Her cheeks were a bit red up to her ears. She looked like a little child talking about her favorite toy. Gray felt like he could barely breathe.

"Hey, are you listening to me?" she said and grasped his arm. That shocked him. He was lost in thought for some time he totally forgot to actually listen to her. He pulled back. "I'm sorry, what were you saying again?" he asked her. She stayed silent staring at his eyes. Gray felt a bit awkward. "Wh-What?" he asked. "Wow…" she mumbled. "I thought so yesterday too but… you really are cool!" _Cool?_ What was the girl saying? So shameless… "What are you talking about all of the sudden?" he shouted unable to control it. He covered his face, which felt burning hot. "Eh?" she replied and her face became red. "I'm sorry; sometimes I just say whatever comes to my head…" _What the-_ She really was very different from what he was imagining all this time. How could she behave like that and apologize in such a way? He started getting irritated. "Whatever…" he said and turned around to leave. "Ah! Wait!" he heard her shout as he left but he didn't stop to listen to her anymore. That was plenty enough.

In the classroom he was staring at the book he took with him without noticing. _That stupid horror book with zero plot or good writing characters, what's so good about it?_ He was tired and the day had only begun. Making things worse next to him was Natsu laughing. "The cool, composed girl you thought she was, is actually an irritating nerd who likes gore?" he kept shouting in the classroom while laughing. "I can't take it anymore…" he was holding his belly "That's what you get for falling for someone only for their appearance!" Gray clicked his tongue. "I am not in love with her, idiot." He whispered almost annoying. Okay, maybe he was fascinated, but that was far from being in love. After all, how can you only love someone based of their appearance? It's like knowing half of them, or less. He had no intention of acting like a teenage boy, but he had to admit that after meeting her somehow he seemed to have lost all interest in her. Was it all nothing but excitement in the end?

He stood up and went out. Next to his classroom it was hers. He looked inside, even though he didn't feel like it. She was there, at the usual sit by the end, checking once again her phone, sitting all alone. Somehow something inside felt calmer, like all the previous irritation was all gone. She was sitting quietly, looking lost in thoughts, just like she used to. _How could there be just a gap between her appearance and her personality?_ Gray thought _._ Her light blue hair fell on her face covering her profile. She put it back it its place behind her ear. Her jaw line was sharp, she actually looked quite erotic like that… Suddenly she turned his way and looked right back at him. How was that possible? She had never noticed him looking before, so why now? Has she actually become more aware of him? Before having the chance to escape she walked towards him.

"There you are!" She said smiling while approaching. "I was looking for you all day." "I'm sorry about the book, I'll return it…" "I actually wanted to hang out with you more, but you left and I noticed that I don't actually have your personal information, like e mail address or phone number to contact you." She interrupted him. "Contact?" he mumbled confused. "Right. I'm quite interested at you, so I think we should get to know it's other." He stayed silent for a moment trying to read between the lines. "Get to know" he repeated looking at the smiling face he couldn't refuse. Then, he gave his phone number, even if he knew that would have been the most horrible decision he could have ever made.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 3: Days of Mistakes

Has there been a single time of peace since the day he gave her his phone number? The answer is no. Juvia kept texting and calling him even though he never replied. In the campus she was always dragging him around talking about horror books, it was basically an annoyance. Deep in his heart he couldn't help but miss the days of silence and peace he had before meeting her.

His sighs were longer now more than ever. Every time he did sigh next to her she would always stop and stare at him for a second, but he would never notice. She might have noticed that she was a bit unwelcomed yet she didn't want to leave him alone. His long faces were making her sad, reminding her of a time she, herself, was exactly like that: sorrow and disappointed. If she could even make him smile, that would have been enough.

"Is there something wrong?" she asked him and tried to bring his eyes to look at hers. Impossible. His gazes seemed lost.  
 _You clinging on me that's what's wrong_. Gray thought, but didn't say it; instead he just kept silent. She didn't continue talking. In her head the only thought was to find something to catch his interest. In his, there was only finding a way to escape.

Suddenly Natsu and Lucy waved them from afar, noisy as usual. Gray has finally found his way out. Without delay Juvia waved back at them and with a lame excuse she stood up and left quietly. Gray has noticed that she wasn't very good at interacting with people. She was always cheerful when being with him or her friends, but when others approached, she always kept silent or just left. To him that was extremely weird, yet a bit adorable. Seeing her awkwardly trying to find her way out of socialization put a big smile on his face.

"What's with her" Natsu commented a bit annoyed "She never stays when we come, are we scary?"  
Gray didn't reply. It's not like he knew the answer himself, not that he has ever bothered asking. The feelings he felt while watching her for afar were so different than when she was near him that he forgot to actually ask her anything about herself and always focused to how to shove her away.  
"Well-well…" Lucy tried to calm Natsu down "She might be a bit shy…"  
"Shy or whatever, you can't argue she is weird." Natsu continued. His personality totally didn't match hers. _Well, maybe if she actually tried talking to him like she talks to me, they might've got along pretty well…_ Gray thought but didn't say it out loud, cause at the exact moment he pictured them together he felt a strange throb in his heart, like he didn't like it.

With Natsu continuing nagging the sound of his phone ringing caught his attention. It was no one other than Juvia. _It hasn't even been 5 minutes since she left…_ he thought a bit annoyed. " **IM SORRY I LEFT TO SUDDENLY, IT WAS RUDE.** " She always did that, texting him pointless stuff like "goodnight" or "what r u doin right now?"

Of course he rarely replied. He shoved his phone in his pocket and continued staring at Natsu who was still nagging.

Juvia checked her phone, but it was still the same. No calls, no texts, nothing.  
"Why don't you give up on him already?" Gajeel commented a bit salty with the whole situation. He had already understood Juvia's feeling for that guy, called Gray and he didn't like it at all. In fact, he was reminded things of the past that haven't ended well for her, that's why he wanted to help her beforehand this time.

Unlike any other he knew Juvia since they were in high school. Back then, they used to hang out, but you could not say they were close. She was always a bit shy and had an emotionless face, making it hard for others to approach her. From their circle, he was the only one that went at the same university as her and after the incident in high school, since he was the only one who knew what had happened to her, seeing her sinking to the bottom made him feel guilty doing nothing. He was her savior and first real friend, that's why he couldn't leave her alone, making again the same mistake.

"I… for some reason I keep following him around…" she replied with a low voice. That's how she normally talked. Gajeel had noticed that when she was talking about things that she liked, her face turned alive and the tone of her voice different. She seemed like a completely new person. That's how she was usually while talking about Gray. He made her happy, that was true but, for some reason, Gajeel still didn't like him.

He clicked his tongue. "Keep doing that and you are gonna get the reputation of a stalker, ya know" He immediately regret saying that. Juvia was a bit sensitive with rumors and reputations. Her face turned white, but he couldn't find a word to fix his mess.  
"You are right…" she said without giving his the chance to continue his previous thought "I am annoying, aren't I? Maybe I should stop…" She felt a throb in her heart while saying those words, but she didn't want to feel like a nuisance. She was obsessed with Gray, that she could admit. Although, she couldn't really understand why she liked him that much, it felt like he was making her world prettier. All she wanted was to help him banish the darkness of his heart, just like she had done herself. She was sure Gray didn't find her annoying, she was certain he held feeling for her as well. That's why she couldn't stop.

"I will confess my feeling tonight at the party" she confessed to her friend "If he says he finds me annoying, I will stop bothering him"

"Are you really going to stop hanging around him, if this doesn't work?" he asked her.  
"I am. Though I'm positive that it will work. I'm sure he feels the same way as me. I can't really explain, but there seem to be something that draws us to each other." Gajeel didn't reply. Just nodded and wished for the best.

Gray was at home watching TV in the living room. There was nothing good playing, so he was just changing the channels hoping to find something worth watching. Lyon was at the bathroom, fixing his hair and putting on lots of cologne, like LOTS of it. It was Friday and his university was throwing a party to celebrate something he didn't really care for. He wasn't going anyway. Lyon was not a student there of course, but it was an open party and his brother wouldn't miss the opportunity to hook up with college girls.

His phone vibrated. Again, it was a text from Juvia. " **I HOPE I'LL SEE U AT THE PARTY TONIGHT. I HAVE SOMETHING REALLY IMPORTANT TO TELL U. TEXT ME BACK WHEN U GET THERE** "

 _She will be at the party too?_ That was a first. She didn't seem like the type who enjoyed partying. If anything, he would have sworn that she was the type who liked chilling at home, reading creepy books.

His mind turned into a big mess filled with thoughts. _What does she want to talk about that can't wait until Monday? What has gotten into her all of the sudden? What is that important and why now?_ The answer was a bit obvious considering her whole behavior. She would probably confess her love. The thought made him shiver. He was not ready for something like that and this kind of thing was really not welcome. He didn't want to commit himself into a relationship and he hadn't given any thought to something like that. Juvia was obviously serious and he didn't want to let her down, but honestly he wasn't sure he liked her.

He felt his stomach tightening up. His fingers got numb. Another text interrupted his thoughts. " **PLEASE COME NO MATTER WHAT TONIGHT** "

What should he do? He wasn't ready to comfort her. He stood up and started walking in circles. He got into his room, opened the closet and looked around. What should he wear? He didn't really have any clothes fit for parties. Should he borrow something from Lyon? He took out a ripped jeans and a plain white shirt. Fixed his hair a bit, making them maybe messier and put a little cologne on. What was he even doing, he wasn't sure himself. His heart was beating so fast. As he opened the door, Lyon was sitting at the entrance putting his shoes on. Suddenly, he stood still. He had completely forgotten all about his brother. "Wow, that's surprising. Are you coming to the party as well?" Lyon asked him. "Are you really going to wear that?"  
"No…" Gray replied without thinking. "I'm just going to buy some snacks, that's all"  
They both stayed silent for some seconds. "Okay, I guess…" Lyon then said "Goodnight, then". He closed the door behind him.

Gray stayed staring at the closed door for a minute. He looked himself in the mirror. _What was I doing…_ he thought to himself and turned his phone off so that nothing bothers him again. Juvia would get her answer with or without him there. On Monday he would she her at the university, apologize using a lame excuse and everything would turn back to normal. He wouldn't need to reject a confession, if there was no confession heard. He laid on the bed and closed his eyes trying to convince himself that he was doing the right thing. If only he had known how much he would come to regret his action back then, he would have gone to that party even with his pajamas on; but you can't turn back the time.

That night he had a bad nightmare and was sweating a lot in his sleep, turning around, but he couldn't remember what he saw when he woke up by the sound of the slamming door. It was around 2.00 am. He stood up and opened the door to his room slowly. As expected, it was Lyon, a bit drank trying to take off his shoes. "BROTHER!" he shouted as he spotted Gray and hugged him. "Get off me, drunk-ass" he complained and tried to push Lyon away.

"Listen up, little brother" Lyon ignored him and hugged him tightly. "Your big brother is happy because… Tonight… he met a girl so unique, so beautiful, he thinks he wants to spend his whole life with her… Isn't that crazy?" He laughed "She looked so sad and lonely, yet to unbearably pretty… I think I fell in love at first sight with a fairy…" Lyon felt asleep at the hands of his brother. Gray, while holding him, recalled the feeling he had before, while sleeping. It was a bad feeling, like his whole body was numb and hurting. The person his brother had described seemed painfully familiar with someone he knew. Was that even possible? What were the odds? He really wished the next morning would never come.


End file.
